Ski retaining device



April 7, 1970 c. ELLIOTT-SMITH 3,504,405

SKI RETAINING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1968 llilll 1N VENTOR ivg-i ATTORNEYS c. ELLIOTT-SMITH 3,504,405

SKI RETAINING DEVICE April 7, 1910 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 4, 1968 E Y m C ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,504,405 Patented Apr. 7, 1970 3,504,405 SKI RETAINING DEVICE Cecily Elliott-Smith, 67 Early St., Morristown, NJ. 07960 Filed Mar. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 710,023 Int. Cl. A451. 3/00 U.S. Cl. 2481 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for retaining skis comprising a frame assembly, abutment means mounted on the frame assembly, the abutment means having surfaces engageable by opposed sufaces on the skis when the skis are mounted on the device, movable means mounted on the frame assembly engageable with the skis when the skis are mounted on the device for clamping the skis against the abutment surfaces and means mounted on the frame assembly for locking the clamping means in clamping relation with the skis.

The present invention relates to a retaining device and more particularly to a device for retaining skis. The invention further contemplates a device suitable for retaining skis and ski poles in a compact assembly.

In the sport of skiing, it has been found that the handling of ski equipment and particularly the transporting of skis and ski poles to and from ski areas is an inconvenient and burdensome problem. In the prior art there are various types of devices for retaining ski equipment. Such devices, however, have been found not to be entirely satisfactory in performance.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a novel retaining device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel device for retaining ski equipment.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel device for retaining sets of skis and ski poles in a compact assembly.

A still further object of the present invention is to pro vide a novel retainer for ski equipment which either can be carried by hand or conveniently mounted on the back of the user.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for retaining ski equipment in a compact assembly wherein the equipment can be readily mounted and removed from the device.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for retaining ski equipment in which the ski equipment may be locked to the rtaining device.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel device for retaining ski equipment which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those persons skilled in the art, from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention illustrating a set of skis and a set of ski poles mounted therein;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the retaining assembly utilized in the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 33 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the retaining assembly utilized in the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIGURE 4.

Briefly described the present invention relates to a device for retaining skis, generally comprising a frame as sembly, abutment means mounted on the frame assembly, the abutment means having surfaces engageable by opposed surfaces of the skis when the skis are mounted on the device, movable means mounted on the frame assembly engageable with the skis when the skis are mounted on the device for clamping the skis against the abutment surfaces and means mounted on the frame assembly for licking the clamping means in clamping relation with the s is.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the frame assembly includes means for guiding the clamping means into and out of clamping relationship with the skis, the clamping means are disposed on opposite sides of the abutment means, each comprising a U-shaped member including a pair of spaced leg sections and a connecting web section, and having the web section thereof opposed and movable relative to an engageable surface on the abutment means whereby a ski may be received between the leg sections of a clamping member and retained in clamping relation between the web section of the clamping member and the engageable surface of the abutment member, the clamping members are provided with means for detachably securing the ski poles thereto and the locking means operatively interconnects the clamping members.

Referring to the drawings there is illustrated an embodiment of the invention. As best illustrated in FIGURE 1, the embodiment includes a frame assembly 10, an assembly 11 for retaining a pair of skis 12 and 13 and a pair of ski poles 14 and 15, vertically, and a locking assembly 16. The frame assembly includes a pair of spaced parallel members 17 and 18 interconnected by a pair of converging side members 19 and 20 to provide a substantially inverted trapizoidally configured structure. The frame assembly is adapted to be mounted on the back of a user by means of a pair of waist straps 21 and 22 secured to the lower ends of the frame members 19 and 20 and a pair of shoulder straps 23 and 24 secured to the ends of the upper frame member 17. The free end of the waist strap 21 is provided with a series of eyelets 25 and is adapted to be connected to a buckle 26 when the waist straps are secured around the waist of the user. The shoulder straps 23 and 24 are provided with loops 27 and 28 on the free ends thereof, through which the waist straps 21 and 22 may be inserted in securing the frame assembly to the back of the user.

As best illustrated in FIGURE 2 the retaining assembly 11 includes a guide bar 29, an abutment member 20 and a pair of clamping members 31 and 32. The end portions of the guide bar 29 are secured to the upper ends of the said frame members 19 and 20 so that the guidebar is spaced parallel and adjacent the upper frame member 17. The abutment member 30 consists of an outwardly projecting stop element 33 having outwardly facing buffer elements 34 and 35. The buffer elements are provided with vertical recesses for receiving the inner ends of the skis 12 and '13 as best illustrated in FIGURE 1. The vertical surfaces 36 and 37 of the butter recesses are engaged by the inner edges of the skis 12 and 13 when the'skis are mounted in the retaining assembly.

The clamping members 31 and 32 are disposed on opposites sides of the abutment member 30 and are adapted to slide freely along the guide bar. The clamping member 31 has a substantially U-shaped configuration including a pair of spaced parallel leg sections 38 and 39 interconnected by a web section 40-. The leg section 39 is provided with a hanger bracket 41 for mounting the clamping member 31 on the guide bar 29. The inner surface of the web section 40 is provided with spring clip 4011, as best illustrated in FIGURE 5, for detachably securing the ski pole 14 within the clamping member 31.

The clamping member 32 is similar in construction to the clamping member 31 and includes a pair of spaced parallel leg sections 42 and 43, disposed substantially in alignment with the leg sections 38 and 39 of the clamping member 31, interconnected by a web section 44. The leg section 43 is provided with a hanger bracket 45 for mounting the clamping member 32 on the guide bar 29 similar to the hanger bracket 41. The inner side of the web section 44 is provided with a spring clip 46, as best illustrated in FIGURE 5, for detachably mounting the ski pole 15 within the clamping member 32. As best shown in FIGURE 5, the length of the leg sections of the clamping members are substantially less than the width of the skis so that when the skis are received within the clamping members, the inner ends thereof project beyond the free ends of the leg sections.

The locking assembly 16 operatively interconnects the clamping members 31 and 32 and consists of a lock housing 47 and a lock bar 48. The lock housing 47 is provided with a bracket 49 having a flange portion 50. The lock bar 48 consists of a substantially elongated flat bar formed with interlocking teeth long the side edges thereof. One end of the lock bar is provided with a hook portion 51 and the opposite end thereof is adapted to be received through an opening 52 in the lock housing 47. The lock housing 47 is provided with a locking mech anism operated by a key 53 which operatively cooperates with the interlocking teeth of the lock bar 48 to lock the lock bar relative to the lock housing.

In mouning the skis and ski poles on the carrier device, the frame assembly is first placed in a convenient working location, the locking assembly 16 is removed and the clamping members 31 and 32 are moved away from the abutment member. The ski poles 14 and 15 then are mounted by inserting them into the clamping members 31 and 32 and securing them to the spring clips 40a and 46. The skis 12 and 13 then are inserted within the clamping members 31 and 32 and laid to rest on the leg section 39 and 43 thereof. With the skis thus resting on the leg sections of the clamping members, the clamping members are moved inwardly along the guide bar 29 so that the other edges of the skies are engaged by the ski poles held in position by the spring slips, and the inner edges of these skis engage the abutment surfaces 36 and 37 of the abutment member.

Next, the locking assembly is mounted on the retaining assembly by inserting the hook portion 51 of the'lock bar 48 in an opening 54 provided in leg section 38 of clamping member 31, and inserting the flanged portion 50 of bracket 49 in an opening 55 provided in the web section 44 of clamping member 42. With the locking assembly thus positioned, the lock bar 48 is pulled through the lock housing 47 to cause the clamping members 31 and 32 to move toward each other and clamp the skis against the abutment member. With the skis properly clamped to the abutment member 30, the locking mechanism in the housing 47 is actuated by turning the key 53. The key can then be removed so that the skis will be locked in the clamped position.

With the skis and ski poles thus mounted on the carrier device, such device either can be hand carried or mounted on the back of the user. To mount the carrier device on the back of the user, the entire assembly can be rested on the lower ends of the skis and leaned against a wall so that the user can position his back against the frame assembly 10 to connect the Waist and shoulder straps. In doing so, the shoulder straps would be positioned over the users shoulders first so that the free ends thereof would be suspended along the front side of the user. The waist straps 21 and 22 would then be positioned about the waist of the user and inserted through the loops 27 and 28 of the shoulder straps. With the straps thus assembled the ends of the waist straps would be secured together.

It will be appreciated that with the skis and ski poles firmly mounted on the frame assembly and the frame assembly straped to the back of the user as described, the user will be free to move about and thus easily transport the ski equipment to and from ski areas. To remove the entire assembly from the body of the user and to remove the ski equipment from the carrier device, the aforementioned procedure essentially is reversed.

From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that there are a number of changes, adaptations and modifications of the present invention which will come within the province of those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A device for retaining skis comprising a frame assembly, a guide bar mounted on said frame assembly, abutment means mounted on said guide gar, said abutment means having surfaces engageable by opposed surfaces of said skis when said skis are mounted on said device, clamping means movably mounted on said guide bar on opposite sides of said abutment means whereby said skis may be clamped against said abutment means, said clamping means comprising U-shaped members, each including a pair of spaced leg sections and a connecting web section, and each having the web section thereof opposite and movable relative to an engageable surface of said abutment means whereby a ski may be received between the leg sections of a clamping member and retained in clamping relation between the web section of said clamping member and said engageable surfaces of said abutment means, and means mounted on said frame assembly for locking said clamping means in clamping relation with said skis.

2. A device for retaining skis according to claim 1, wherein said locking meansoperatively interconnects said clamping members.

3. A device for retaining skis according to claim 1, wherein the web sections of sad clamping members are provided with means for detachably securing ski poles.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,956,813 10/ 1960 Madden. 3,091,011 5/1963 Campbell 224-45 XR 3,223,302 12/1965 Helm 22442.1

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner F. E. WERNER, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

